5-across – Likely : PLAUSIBLE

8-across – Sound of an engine running smoothly : PURR

9-across – Unsophisticated – shop menu : HOMESPUN

10-across – Fancy – idea : NOTION

11-across – Waste water : SEWAGE

13-across – Remains of a loaf? : CRUMBS

15-across – Edge-of-town neighbourhood : SUBURB

16-across – Carefully assess : APPRAISE

18-across – Fertile soil : LOAM

19-across – Unwilling : RELUCTANT

1-down – Concern for others : ALTRUISM

2-down – Scottish novelist and 1st Baron Tweedsmuir – John ___ : BUCHAN

3-down – Acid test indicator : LITMUS

4-down – They’re given to those in need : ALMS

6-down – Collector’s signature : AUTOGRAPH

7-down – One has money but no taste : VULGARIAN

12-down – Shaking like a jelly : WOBBLING

14-down – Blunder : SLIPUP

15-down – Marlowe or Marple,for instance : SLEUTH

17-down – Felt regret : RUED

5-across – Adulation : HEROWORSHIP

7-across – Play thing? – rugby forward : PROP

8-across – Reserve – space : DISTANCE

9-across – ____ Fennell,English actor and filmmaker – Mr. Adele : EMERALD

11-across – Not precise : VAGUE

13-across – Intense : ACUTE

14-across – Source of the National Trust’s logo : OAKTREE

16-across – Ran slowly : TRICKLED

17-across – Put a coin in here : SLOT

18-across – Psychological barrier : MENTALBLOCK

1-down – Give up : DROP

2-down – This makes no sense : TWADDLE

3-down – Bit of fried potato : CRISP

4-down – Long-tailed : PHEASANT

5-down – Irresponsible,haphazard : HARUMSCARUM

6-down – Illustrated publication : PICTUREBOOK

10-down – Unforthcoming : RETICENT

12-down – Money owed that’s unlikely to be repaid : BADDEBT

15-down – Delight in another’s misfortune – or one’s own success : GLOAT

17-down – One’s hard-going – or hard work : SLOG

1-across – Big mistake : HOWLER

4-across – One quarter of a deck : SPADES

8-across – Conditions of a business deal : TERMS

9-across – Big lie : WHOPPER

10-across – Insipid : ANODYNE

11-across – Old-fashioned anaesthetic : ETHER

12-across – Record player : TURNTABLE

17-across – Hurled : FLUNG

19-across – Big fire : INFERNO

21-across – Warning signal : REDFLAG

22-across – Extract : LEACH

23-across – Bear – stick : ENDURE

24-across – Close-fitting necklace : CHOKER

1-down – Contract killer : HITMAN

2-down – Gym session : WORKOUT

3-down – Attempt : ESSAY

5-down – ‘Actions speak louder than words’,for instance : PROVERB

6-down – It goes from top to bottom : DEPTH

7-down – French existentialist Jean-Paul ___ : SARTRE

9-down – Hulk Hogan’s line of work : WRESTLING

13-down – Frequent customer : REGULAR

14-down – Identify : EARMARK

15-down – Rollercoaster effect? : GFORCE

16-down – Take trouble : BOTHER

18-down – Reversed : UNDID

20-down – Pollution – vulgarity : FILTH

1-across – Unenlightened : BENIGHTED

8-across – Lay to rest : INTER

9-across – School-trip vehicle : MINIBUS

10-across – Wedding do,held in advance : HENPARTY

11-across – Therefore : ERGO

13-across – Give power,strength or authority to : ENABLE

14-across – Give a ‘not guilty’ verdict : ACQUIT

16-across – Street,table or effect : SIDE

17-across – Large bottle : DEMIJOHN

19-across – Insistent : ADAMANT

20-across – Privileged social group : ELITE

21-across – Effective : EXPEDIENT

1-down – Marine hanger-on : BARNACLE

2-down – Idiot : NUMPTY

3-down – Unwanted sticky stuff : GUNK

4-down – Keats died of it : TUBERCULOSIS

5-down – No longer in production : DISCONTINUED

6-down – Measure of seismologists : RICHTERSCALE

7-down – Tall floor light : STANDARDLAMP

12-down – It’s not deliberate : ACCIDENT

15-down – Cook’s grinder : PESTLE

18-down – Smooth – bits of rock : SAND

1-across – Toy,target or top : SOFT

3-across – On the other side of the page : OVERLEAF

9-across – Cockle or mussel,say : MOLLUSC

10-across – One goes to the polls : VOTER

11-across – Support – acceptance : BUYIN

12-across – Rectangle : OBLONG

14-across – Sober – as OAP insisted : DISPASSIONATE

17-across – Soluble substance which can neutralise acids : ALKALI

19-across – It’s raised in support : THUMB

22-across – Layered vegetable : ONION

23-across – Small waterfall : CASCADE

24-across – Forte or Fawlty? : HOTELIER

25-across – Top of the range? : PEAK

1-down – A person of consequence : SOMEBODY

2-down – Ornamental garden building : FOLLY

4-down – Where one problem leads to another,compounding the original difficulty : VICIOUSCIRCLE

5-down – Competitor : RIVAL

6-down – Baltic state bordering Russia and Latvia : ESTONIA

7-down – Plant which reproduces via spores : FERN

8-down – South American plant grown for its rice-like seeds : QUINOA

13-down – Time for a drink : TEABREAK

15-down – One plays alone : SOLOIST

16-down – Slow on the uptake : OBTUSE

18-down – Cancel : ANNUL

20-down – Treatment : USAGE

21-down – Heavy hitter? : COSH